"Your
appointment is especially heartening in that it confirms that the issue of corporate
responsibility, and the challenge of reconciling public priorities with private
interests, are of central importance to society today."

First, I would like to congratulate all our Kennedy School graduates who were honored in a ceremony on June 9. Though the students have left campus for the summer, our CBG programs continue to thrive.

Congratulations are also due to Jane Nelson, CBG Senior Fellow and Director of the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, for receiving the 2005 Keystone Center Leadership in Education Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on June 8. The event was attended by nearly 400 leaders in government, business, the environment and education. Beth Lowery of General Motors, who presented the award, said of Jane, “[her] love of learning and natural curiosity is infectious and inspiring to her students and colleagues. Her energy and enthusiasm to tackle the big issues motivate others to do the same…You don’t come across someone like Jane that often in a lifetime – someone who has immense intellectual capacity coupled with a lot of heart and intense dedication.” Jane is an invaluable member of the CBG team, and I could not agree more with Beth’s assessment.

The Harvard Electricity Policy Group culminated its eleventh year with a plenary session in Cambridge on May 19-20. Federal Energy Commissioner Nora Brownell attended the meeting as well as state commissioners from California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The group of electricity executives discussed the lessons learned from ten years of restructuring, requirements for companies to factor renewable sources into their energy portfolios, and the relevance of transmission building experience in Argentina and U.S. markets.

The Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative (CSRI) held a one-day conference last month on HIV/AIDS and the ways in which business can engage, individually and collectively, to address public capacity gaps in tackling the pandemic. Attendees included Abbott Labs, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, ChevronTexaco, Coca Cola, General Motors, the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB & Malaria, Merck, and Pfizer, as well as Harvard faculty and staff from the Center for Business and Government, HIGH, and the School of Public Health . The day included presentations by companies on their HIV-related programs beyond the workplace, a discussion about the ways in which the Global Fund and the CBG are working with companies on these issues, and a brain storming session on collaboration and next steps. The one-day session was kicked off by a screening of the award-winning documentary "A Closer Walk".

CBG’s Asia Programs are in the midst of a very busy summer of projects and travel. First, our China 's Leaders in Development training curriculum is starting June 16 in Beijing and the participants will be coming to the U.S. at the end of August. Next, the Prime Minister of Vietnam arrived on June 25 for a day of Boston-area activities organized by our Vietnam Program. Our Asia Programs will also be taking KSG Dean David Ellwood to Taipei , Hong Kong , Beijing , Osaka and Japan for his first trip to Asia as Dean. They will visit program supporters, sites and alumni.

The Asia Programs have also hosted many successful programs recently. Last month, for example, the Financial Sector Program co-hosted a half day seminar on Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation. With speakers including Charles V. Raymond, President, Citigroup Foundation and Iqbal Quadir, CBG Fellow and founder of GrameenPhone, the participants engaged in discussion topics such as the mainstreaming and commercialization of microfinance, new microfinance products including housing and insurance microfinance, and microfinance experience in the United States .

In April-May 2005, the AIDS Public Policy Training Project, directed by Joan Kaufman, conducted a senior level training course on AIDS for provincial government and Party officials in China , reportedly the first training on HIV/AIDS given for such senior officials in China . The Senior Leadership Forum included the Provincial Deputy Governor and the Provincial Party Secretary as well as the governors of all 16 prefectures (districts) and was also attended by the Vice President of Tsinghua University. The Leadership Forum was followed by a two and a half day training course for senior multi-sectoral provincial and prefectural teams, including 6 prefectural governors or deputy governors. The course highlights the development impacts of AIDS and the governance and leadership requirements for an effective multi-sectoral response. The AIDS Public Policy Training Project partners with Tsinghua University in China and the Ho Chih Minh National Political Academy in Hanoi to conduct training programs for policy makers in both countries.

And so ends another lively school year. I wish you all a happy and healthy summer, and look forward to being in touch again this fall.

Cheers.

John
G. Ruggie

Frank and Denie Weil Director, Center
for Business and Government Kirkpatrick Professor of International Affairs